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Saturday, February 7, 2009

4-Containing GABAA Receptors in the Nucleus Accumbens Mediate Moderate Intake of Alcohol
The Journal of Neuroscience, January 14, 2009, 29(2):543-549;


Alcohol has subjective and behavioral effects at the pharmacological levels typically reached during the consumption of one or two alcoholic drinks.
Here we provide evidence that an 4-subunit-containing GABAA receptor contributes to the consumption of low-to-moderate levels of alcohol.
Using viral-mediated RNA interference (RNAi), we found that reduced expression of the 4 subunit in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell of rats decreased their free consumption of and preference for alcohol. The time course for the reduced alcohol intake paralleled the time course of 4 mRNA reductions achieved after viral-mediated RNAi for 4.
Furthermore, the reduction in drinking was region- and alcohol-specific: there was no effect of reductions in 4 expression in the NAc core on alcohol intake, and reductions in 4 expression in the NAc shell did not alter sucrose or water intake.
These results indicate that the GABAA receptor 4 subunit in the NAc shell mediates alcohol intake.




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